Tag: Fall 2009

Government officials are no strangers to scandals. And —?as some Texas college journalists learned — neither is student government.

More than 30 years later and months after the latest round of legal interpretations, open records advocates, elected officials and journalists are questioning FERPA’s application and wondering just how far from the law’s original intent schools are willing to go to shield information from the public.

For both the student and professional media, user comments on Web sites are the basis of a growing number of lawsuits. Editors are attempting to grapple with how they should respond —?ethically and legally —?to controversial comments left on their sites by anonymous posters.

The reach of school officials has extended beyond the schoolhouse gate to the World Wide Web, where pictures on Facebook, a posting on MySpace or a comment on a personal blog can now mean punishments for students.

Search warrants, arrests, pepper spray — most student journalists manage to avoid extreme situations involving law enforcement while doing their jobs. However, two college photojournalists recently found themselves in situations that highlighted tensions between the press and the police

Henry Rome and Seth Zweifler have, between them, picked up just about every honor that a high school journalist can compete for.

Because of their unique circumstances, community college student journalists are often forced to tackle many issues differently than students at traditional four-year institutions ' from battling with overbearing administration to keeping their papers alive altogether.

As the business model for journalism changes with the advent of new technology and more expansive schools of thought, college journalism programs change along with it. Policies implemented to shift, alter or otherwise change the way collegiate student media operates present a path across a legal and ethical minefield for both the students and administrators. Whereas some new policies may border on censorship, others have successfully kept student media afloat in difficult times.

Covering the rousing parties, philanthropic activities and exclusivity of social fraternities and sororities on campus can be tricky ground for college journalists. Bad press can upset well-connected students and stories of exclusive houses can mold cultural misconceptions. However, the Greek community often plays a significant role on campus and is an important part of campus coverage.